[Lamp]
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Contained
Special Containment Procedures: The properties surrounding SCP-XXXX, including all homes and land plots on adjacent steets, have been acquired by the Foundation and vacated. Surveillance of the surrounding area is to be maintained at all times. In the event that civilians approach the perimeter of SCP-XXXX, automated audio warnings are to be broadcast instructing them to leave the area immediately. If individuals fail to comply, Foundation personnel are to escort them away from the perimeter.
Individuals located within SCP-XXXX are to be provided with remote guidance via radio transmission or other available means in order to facilitate their exit.
Direct physical exploration of SCP-XXXX is forbidden.
[House]
Description: SCP-XXXX is a 2km2 isolated tract of land in Herto County, Massachusetts. No evidence indicates that SCP-XXXX is expanding. SCP-XXXX is characterized by continuous snowfall and temperatures below 5°C. Snow accumulation within the area steadily increases over time, with some regions measuring depths exceeding 2 meters.
SCP-XXXX manifested suddenly following an event in which a local town became entirely buried beneath snowfall. Prior to the event, all known inhabitants had vacated the area under unknown circumstances. The cause of SCP-XXXX's formation remains undetermined.
Crossing into the area causes an immediate transition in the perceived time of day to nighttime, regardless of the current time outside SCP-XXXX. This effect appears to serve solely as an indicator that the boundary has been crossed. Concurrently, the sky within SCP-XXXX becomes obscured by red cloud formations that produce a warm red illumination across the surrounding terrain.
A single white lamp located near the center of SCP-XXXX emits high-intensity light visible throughout much of the affected area. No additional landmarks or light sources exist outside of residential structures formerly belonging to the village.
Multiple individuals are incapable of entering SCP-XXXX simultaneously. Upon entry, each subject is placed within a sub-reality accessible only to that individual. Subjects re-entering SCP-XXXX consistently return to the same sub-reality instance previously experienced, including any alterations made during prior visists.
A radio signal broadcasts across all known regions of SCP-XXXX, enabling communication between devices located within residential structures and any brought into the area. This signal persists across all known sub-realities. Broadcasts consist primarily of heavy static intermittently interrupted by whispered vocalizations resembling the thoughts or memories of nearby listeners. These vocalizations are believed to originate from SCP-XXXX-1 instances.
SCP-XXXX-1 instances manifest after the remains of deceased individuals remain within SCP-XXXX long enough to become completely buried beneath snowfall. Witness descriptions characterize SCP-XXXX-1 instances as mobile formations resembling snow piles or spherical masses moving independently throughout the landscape. Reports consistently describe SCP-XXXX-1 instances as displaying signs of fear or distress. Several testimonies suggest the possible presence of additional unidentified entities within SCP-XXXX responsible for this behavior; however, insufficient evidence exists to confirm the existence of such entities.
The following account was recovered from a surviving individual formerly trapped within SCP-XXXX:
Account nr. 2
Subject: Ian Marron, age 37
Time spent inside the area: 7 hours
Everything started when I was on a small trip. I wanted to climb a nearby mountain, but one thing suddenly intrigued me: a line of snow in the forest in the middle of summer. So I followed its trail.
Suddenly, day shifted into night, and I began to feel the atmosphere growing colder. Then the snow started falling. It was dark; I could barely see anything. I could have turned back, but something lured me deeper inside. Was it my mind? I couldn't tell. When I noticed a light, my heart started pounding with happiness. I sat down beneath it and completely forgot what I had originally planned to do. As the warmth of the light wrapped around me, I felt a strange sense of peace wash over me. The cold and darkness faded into the background, replaced by an inexplicable connection to this strange place.
I was making angels in the snow when a group of snow hills began surrounding me, whispering something I couldn't understand. It felt like a glimpse of a winter night, a frozen snapshot from a time long gone. I don't know how long I had been there — an hour or two, maybe — but it wasn't enough. Soon, though, I realized this was probably not the healthiest thing to do. My lungs were itching from the snow. I wanted to stay as long as possible, but my body didn't.
I broke into one of the nearby houses, not caring whether someone lived there or not, just to get warm. I tried everything, from wrapping myself in blankets to lighting the fireplace. I turned off the TV because I couldn't even understand what was playing on it. When none of that worked, I noticed a Christmas tree with presents all around it.
I started opening them one by one. I felt a kind of joy I hadn't experienced in years. My mind really missed those times when I actually received gifts for Christmas instead of money or clothes. I found a toy car, a ton of bubble gum, and a telephone. I didn’t want to return to my old, miserable life. I wanted to stay and relive my memories.
Suddenly the TV turned on by itself, and I saw the EAS alarm saying, "This is a message from the US government; please leave your current location and walk forward until you leave the snow." It repeated a few times. It deepened the war in my head. Should I leave or not? This was the question my mind was asking. I calmed down and told myself, "If the government told me to leave, I should do so." Despite what my body was telling me, this was my only motivation.
I walked forward along the same route I had originally taken into the area. My bones were freezing, and my thoughts became weaker and weaker. I was losing all my energy. For a moment, I wanted to rest there forever. I lay down on the ground and closed my eyes, wanting to imagine myself truly happy again, free from pain and suffering.
Then I heard them again — the whispers. They started talking to me once more. The only thing I could understand was: "Please come back to our home. We don't need you to suffer with us."
I woke up and walked with the last of my strength until I collapsed into somebody's arms. He started speaking to me: "It's okay. You will survive."
Then I realized that I was the only cold person around me.
All operations inside SCP-XXXX are strictly prohibited.
END DOCUMENT